Mechanical Clown

Ji Xun quickly surveyed his surroundings. This was a mechanically styled sealed chamber.

Besides their cage, there were two more Iron Cages.

Each cage held two people.

One of them contained familiar faces: the Bald Captain of the Blackwater Mercenary Group who had escaped earlier, along with one of his subordinates.

The other cage held two unfamiliar men in black suits, one old and one young.

They were not even wearing Gas Masks, making the young man's arrogance and the old man's humble demeanor plainly visible.

Chujiu recognized them and whispered, "Fourth Young Master Cao of the Cao Family, the governor of Sinless City."

"Oh?"

Ji Xun raised a brow and murmured, "Looks like these two were the ones who triggered the Hidden Scenario in the Alternate Dimension."

Unlike the two bewildered mercenaries, the master and servant had clearly come prepared. They looked calm, as though they were even anticipating something.

And since there had been no sign of them along the way, they had naturally arrived through some special means.

It was not difficult to infer that these two were the culprits behind the sudden spike in the space's difficulty.

When the two bald mercenaries saw Ji Xun and Chujiu appear, their eyes widened in disbelief. These two bastards were still alive?

Fourth Young Master Cao and his companion were also somewhat surprised to see Ji Xun and Chujiu. Two survivors in a space this difficult were already astonishing enough, yet there were another two.

But after a single glance, they paid them no further attention. Their focus was not on people, but on something else.

It looked as though they were about to play some sort of game.

With everyone assembled, the game began.

Just then, gears ground with a series of creaks, and all six people looked over.

An opening suddenly split apart in the steel floor between the three cages, and a rust-covered Mechanical Clown rose from below.

It wore a clown hat, had a comical red nose, and a curved smile.

Its red and blue paint had long faded, leaving mottled rust everywhere. The marks of time covered every inch of it.

"A clown..."

When Ji Xun saw the strange Mechanical Clown, an inexplicable familiarity flashed through his eyes.

It had been here for many, many years, waiting alone through endless, lonely days for someone to arrive.

As though looking into a mirror, Ji Xun seemed to see himself in it. He understood that loneliness all too well.

The clown's feet were springs, making it sway and bob its head in a manner that was indescribably bizarre and unsettling.

As everyone examined the strange Mechanical Clown, it suddenly came to life and cackled. "Welcome to the Clown's Terrifying Feast. The final game is about to begin. As long as you clear it, you may leave alive."

Its mechanical voice was full of mockery and absurdity.

At the words that they could leave, the six people in the cages all wore different expressions.

No one believed the final stage would be easy.

At that moment, Fourth Young Master Cao seemed eager to confirm something. He asked, "I want to know whether that Cataclysm Source is here."

He had prepared for so long precisely for that thing. Now that they were about to leave and he had not even seen a trace of it, he naturally had to ask.

At those words, Ji Xun and Chujiu also looked over.

The young master had put it very vaguely.

If Ji Xun and Chujiu had not read those files earlier, they would not have known what he meant by "Cataclysm Source."

Ji Xun clearly remembered a line in the files: "May 3rd, Imperial Year 1141. The S-Class Cataclysm Source was unsealed. Research commenced."

The source of the entire bunker catastrophe had actually been that Cataclysm Source.

Even more unexpectedly, the Mechanical Clown actually answered, "Of course. Whoever clears the final stage will naturally obtain that Epic Source Card."

The clown directly revealed what the Cataclysm Source truly was.

Ji Xun was not surprised that there was a final stage, but this clown seemed to be an intelligent npc?

So this appeared to be a final boss that did not require killing monsters.

Yet instinctively, he felt this stage would be even more difficult.

As it spoke, an indescribable wickedness and mockery showed in the clown's expression. "However, only the living are qualified to know the truth~"

Upon hearing that, Fourth Young Master Cao wore an amused expression. Clearly, this was the result he had been waiting for.

Ji Xun had no idea what an "Epic Source Card" was.

The two mercenaries appeared not to have heard of it either, their faces full of confusion.

But Chujiu obviously knew. She murmured in shock, "There really is one..."

Since he had no idea what a Source Card was, Ji Xun had no interest in it for the moment.

He carefully examined the layout before him.

The three Iron Cages formed a triangular arrangement. A glance overhead revealed rows of iron spikes, their sharp edges exposed the moment the clown appeared.

The cages were completely sealed. There was no possibility of forcing their way out.

In other words, once the spikes descended, all six people in the cages would die.

The final stage would not be easy to clear.

As soon as the Mechanical Clown finished speaking, a platform slowly rose inside each of the three cages. A colorful revolver resembling a toy gun rested on each one.

The clown's chilling voice sounded again.

"The final game is called... the Roulette of Fate."

"Please listen carefully to the rules."

"First: the revolver before you contains one bullet. It is the only way to leave this space. You may leave only after firing it. Second: each time, you may fire only one shot at the other person, after which turns will alternate. This continues until someone dies, and the survivor may leave. Third: the iron saws above your heads will descend one meter every fifteen seconds. In other words, if you have not decided who lives and who dies after one minute, all of you will be pierced into sieves."

"Please obey the rules of the game. Otherwise, all of you will die."

"Very well. The game begins now!"

They could only leave alive by killing their companions?

Sure enough, the final stage was the hardest.

Ji Xun carefully considered those rules, and a distant look appeared in his eyes.

This stage tested human nature.

The instant the Mechanical Clown finished speaking, the Bald Captain in one of the cages snatched up the revolver with lightning speed.

His instincts told him that no matter the situation, it was best to keep the initiative in his own hands.

In the other two cages, neither Ji Xun nor Chujiu made a move.

Fourth Young Master Cao and the old man also remained still.

They clearly believed the stage was not as simple as it appeared.

They were all waiting.

Waiting to find another way to break the deadlock.

There was another reason as well. They were waiting for the two bald men to test the rules first.

Yet not long after the clown announced the start of the game, a harsh metallic scrape rang out. The iron spikes overhead suddenly dropped a great distance, warning them to decide quickly or all of them would die.

With death hanging over his head, cold sweat covered the bald mercenary's forehead.

Holding the revolver, he ultimately failed to overcome his fear of death. He roared, "Brother, forgive me!"

Then he decisively pulled the trigger.

Click.

The hammer struck with a crisp sound, and the mercenary opposite him jolted violently.

But no bullet came out.

An empty chamber!

But it was not over.

After his first shot came up empty, ruthlessness flashed through the Bald Captain's eyes. He immediately tried to pull the trigger again and fire a second shot.

Ji Xun watched the scene of brothers turning on each other with great interest.

He had already witnessed this bald man's ruthlessness and cunning before. The teammate sharing his cage had never expected that the captain he regarded as a brother in life and death would try to kill him.

Yet strangely, no matter how hard the Bald Captain tried, the trigger would not move.

Then, the colorful revolver vanished from his hand and reappeared on the platform.

The mercenary opposite him seized it, his gaze ruthless and resolute. Since you fired first, don't blame me!

He pointed the gun at the Bald Captain and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Click.

Like a clown, fate enjoyed toying with people.

Another empty chamber.

The turns switched again.

The instant the Bald Captain heard the gunshot, it felt as though even his soul trembled.

When he came back to himself and realized he was still alive, he was overjoyed and quickly grabbed the revolver again.

As though racing death itself, he gave his teammate no chance to react and decisively pulled the trigger for the second time.

This time, with a bang, fire burst from the muzzle, and the mercenary across from him collapsed.

The Bald Captain's pupils rapidly dilated, and he gasped for air. After standing frozen for a moment, ecstatic relief finally appeared on his face.

The joy of snatching his life back from death made him burst into manic laughter. "Hahaha!"

At that moment, a distorted door of light appeared over the corpse opposite him. The Bald Captain also received a Revelation: he could leave.

"I can really escape this damned place!"

The Bald Captain was ecstatic.

All along the way, the shadow of death had hung over his head. At last, this damn Alternate Dimension was finally over.

But human nature was like that.

With his life no longer in danger, he began thinking of other things.

The Mechanical Clown had mentioned the "Cataclysm Source" and the "Source Card."

Every sign suggested that this Alternate Dimension hid some supreme treasure.

Once greed arose, he immediately felt that after coming here and barely surviving, it would be a shame to leave just like that.

Yet in the instant he hesitated, a cold, disdainful voice mocked him beside his ear. "What, do you want to stay here?"

Fourth Young Master Cao saw through the Bald Captain's thoughts and warned coldly, "If you hesitate for even one more second, I guarantee that my Cao Family will erase the Blackwater Mercenary Group from Sinless City!"

"..."

That statement seemed even more threatening than the revolver. The bald brute's eyelids twitched, and he shuddered in fright.

In an instant, he understood what the "Cao Family" represented.

This young master was the "employer" who had hired the Blackwater Mercenary Group.

Although he had not known this man's identity before, even the group leader had spoken to this employer with his back bent. He could only be from the Cao Family of the Upper City Governor's Mansion.

If this man died, then the threat would not matter.

But with two people and only one survivor, either the young master or the steward would definitely leave alive.

Even if he truly obtained some treasure as a reward, he would not live long enough to enjoy it.

The Bald Captain was good at reading the wind. After weighing the pros and cons in an instant, he immediately smiled ingratiatingly. "Young Master, I didn't mean that. I was merely wondering whether you wanted to..."

Fourth Young Master Cao cut him off disdainfully. "Get lost!"

"Yes."

The Bald Captain had wanted to curry favor with him, but upon hearing that, he could only smile awkwardly and turn to leave.

He walked to the distorted door of light, and his figure vanished in an instant.

Killing a companion really allowed one to leave.

The remaining four had witnessed the life-and-death companions slaughter each other.

They also understood that obeying the rules truly allowed them to survive.

But before they could think further, the overhead spikes dropped another great distance with a clang.

There were only a little over thirty seconds left. If they did nothing, everyone in the cages would die together.

Ji Xun was in no hurry. He watched with interest to see what the master and servant would choose.

Chujiu did not grab the revolver either, as though she were considering something.

The master and servant did not move either.

Everyone guessed that there had to be another choice in this stage.

Several more breaths passed before Fourth Young Master Cao finally picked up the revolver and examined it.

The gun seemed fine, yet something about it felt wrong.

The old man opposite him showed no intention of grabbing it. He simply stood there quietly.

But Fourth Young Master Cao did not fire either. He carefully observed something, then glanced at the Mechanical Clown in the distance, deep in thought.

A few breaths later, the spikes overhead dropped another section.

The old man finally could not help urging him, "Young Master, fire quickly, or it will be too late. If this attempt fails, we can come in again next time."

The spikes overhead creaked, like a countdown to death, urging the four of them to make their decision quickly.

As a servant of the Cao Family, he had already gained the Resolve to Die.

Was this truly the only way?

Although Fourth Young Master Cao realized this method was probably wrong, he had no other choice.

Just as the old servant had said, if this attempt failed, they could enter again another time.

They had already more or less figured out this Alternate Dimension. Once outside, they could take their time studying it.

With that thought, Fourth Young Master Cao made his decision as well. He raised the gun and decisively pulled the trigger.

Click!

An empty chamber.

The rules stated that they could only fire one shot at the other person.

Now it was the old man's turn to pick up the revolver.

Ji Xun and Chujiu watched as well, wanting to see whether a servant killing his master would unfold.

Yet neither of them expected that the old man would pick up the revolver, not aim it at the person opposite him, and instead fire without hesitation at his own head.

"Click." Another empty chamber.

The old man set the gun on the table before him and urged, "Young Master, hurry and pull the trigger."

Suicide?

At this sight, Ji Xun's expression turned solemn.

Whether it was blind loyalty or something else, loyalty itself was worthy of respect.

Since the old man had made such a choice, this young master would definitely survive.

It could be considered abiding by the rules of the game.

His old servant had chosen to sacrifice himself, yet Young Master Cao showed no change in expression. He took the revolver and pulled the trigger again.

Bang!

The bullet shot from the muzzle.

A bloody hole appeared between the old man's brows, and he fell at the sound.

A warped light gate appeared over the corpse as well.

Looking at the body on the ground, Fourth Young Master Cao's expression barely rippled.

He neither gave it another look nor chose to leave. Instead, he turned to Ji Xun and the other person in the cage.

Now, it was their turn.

P.S. Please vote~

Thanks to "Little Lobster" and "Jack Su" for the tips~